WO2023105532A1

WO2023105532A1 - Autonomous onsite hydrogen generation systems

Info

Publication number: WO2023105532A1
Application number: PCT/IN2022/050046
Authority: WO
Inventors: Shrinivas ATHALYE
Original assignee: Athalye Shrinivas
Priority date: 2021-12-08
Filing date: 2022-01-21
Publication date: 2023-06-15

Abstract

The present invention relates to an on-site, on-demand environment-friendly autonomous hydrogen generation and storage system comprising unconditioned, unprocessed calcium hydride as the metal hydride fuel source; a controlled source of water; an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid; and a thermally self-regulating reactor capable of delivering pure hydrogen gas at desired pressure upon reaction of the calcium hydride particles suspended within the hydrophobic membrane fluid with water.

Description

AUTONOMOUS ONSITE HYDROGEN GENERATION SYSTEMS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to environment-friendly, on-site, on-demand autonomous hydrogen generation and storage systems, and more particularly to hydrogen generation and storage systems integrated with hydrogen fuel cells for generation of electricity.

The present invention further relates to an efficient and economical system of generating higher output of clean and pure hydrogen gas using aluminium powder and calcium hydroxide, the byproduct of reaction between input materials calcium hydride and water within the reactor of the systems of the present invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

While the world focuses on shaping a more sustainable and secure future, there is a colossal shift of the regulators, investors, and consumers towards decarbonization. Amidst the fear of depleting natural resources for power generation to meet the world’s energy supply, clean and pure hydrogen (H2) has gathered strong momentum as a key energy transition pillar.

Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier that has the potential to address several energy sector related challenges. It is a flammable odorless element available in gaseous state within the atmosphere in miniscule quantity (0.6 parts per million) and can be produced via chemical, thermo-chemical and elector-chemical processes. Hydrogen with its abundance, high energy density, better combustion characteristics and non-polluting nature portray significant advantages over the conventional fuels. It is used as a clean fuel alternative for electricity generation in addition to its several commercial uses based on application in transportation, petroleum refinery, ammonia production and other sectors. As per Hydrogen Insights Report 2021 of Hydrogen Council, the governments worldwide have committed more than USD 70 billion in public funding for ambitious hydrogen projects. India is also targeting hydrogen mission to provide sustainable and affordable energy solutions, reduce emissions and lay down a path for economic growth.

Numerous processes and methods have been used historically to generate hydrogen gas. Thermochemical processes use heat and chemical reactions to release hydrogen gas from organic materials, such as fossil fuels and biomass. Electrolysis method is also used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Further biological processes have been explored to produce hydrogen using microbes such as bacteria and algae and other organic matter. With the advancement in material technology, there is a renewed interest in use of metal hydrides as a source for hydrogen generation. However, the overall challenge to hydrogen production is the cost, efficiency of process, overall safety and the effect of these process on the environment.

W002/30810 describes an invention for generation of hydrogen gas whereby the spontaneity of the chemical reaction is controlled by use of hydride pellets encapsulated with polymer and the polymer cover is expected to have porosity. The concern with this invention is that these strategies of encapsulation have certain disadvantages viz. swelling of pellets, collapse of binder, or failure of the polymer coating etc. all of which can significantly impact reaction kinetics and hamper operation.

US2005/0175868A1 describes a composition comprising lithium hydride, carrier liquid and dispersant for use in hydrogen generator. Lithium hydride used in this invention raises concerns of toxicity, cost, and adverse effect on the environment. Further, the slurry of hydride made in mineral oil has its own disadvantages owing to combustible nature of oil and low thermal stability. Also, the system of the said invention generates carbon monoxide gas which is a contaminant and unsafe for fuel cell operations.

Despite of several inventions in this space for generating pure hydrogen, there remains unresolved need for a sustainable solution on a larger scale. For scaling up of low-cost clean hydrogen production, there is a requirement for cost effective raw materials, safe facilities and/or capacities for production and storage, ease of transportation and distribution of hydrogen on a significant scale. The most competitive setup for large- scale clean hydrogen applications shall involve co-locating hydrogen production on- or near-site. This challenge of transportation and storage is resolved with the autonomous on-site hydrogen generator systems of the present invention.

The systems of the present invention offer several technical advantages and operating benefits over the conventional generators available as on date by generating clean and pure hydrogen gas on-demand and without need of any external energy for operation. The primary input material for the reaction, calcium hydride is readily available and is commercially economical. The systems of the present invention offer generation of higher quantities of clean hydrogen gas by using readily available aluminium powder. Both these materials can be used in their readily available form as such without any need for pre-processing as the system has high tolerance for impurities. Also the systems of the present invention are safe and pose no concerns in handling or usage even by non-skilled personnel. Another advantage of the systems of the present invention is that they are capable of delivering hydrogen at any desired pressure without the need of external compressor, thereby reducing capital and operating cost. These systems can be started and stopped at will, just by managing the in-flow of water to the reactor. These systems developed by the inventor offers fully controllable, autonomous, and load-following operation to provide hydrogen on-demand which obviates the need for hydrogen gas storage at site and thus eliminates safety issues. Thus the inventor of the present invention, using high level of skill and expertise, has successfully addressed the concerns of the conventionally available hydrogen generators by developing such hydrogen generation systems that offer zero-noise, zerovibrations, zero-emission, zero-waste and zero-discharge.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention aim to provide an on-site, on-demand autonomous hydrogen generation and storage systems that are environment- friendly.

In one of the embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an on-site, on- demand autonomous hydrogen generation and storage system comprising unconditioned, unprocessed calcium hydride as the metal hydride fuel source; a controlled source of water; an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid; and a thermally self-regulating reactor capable of delivering pure hydrogen gas at desired pressure upon reaction of the calcium hydride particles suspended within the hydrophobic membrane fluid with water. The inventor of the present invention have termed the said system as “HyGen System”.

In one of the embodiments of the present invention, there is further provided an onsite, on-demand autonomous hydrogen generation and storage hybrid system comprising unconditioned, unprocessed calcium hydride as the metal hydride fuel source; controlled source of water; an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid; a thermally self-regulating reactor capable of delivering pure hydrogen gas at desired pressure upon reaction of the calcium hydride particles suspended within the hydrophobic membrane fluid with water; and aluminium powder for reaction with the by-product calcium hydroxide, for generating higher output of pure hydrogen gas. The inventor of the present invention have termed the said system as “HyGen-X System”. In one of the embodiments of the present invention, there is further provided an onsite, on-demand autonomous hydrogen generation and storage hybrid system comprising unconditioned, unprocessed calcium hydride as the metal hydride fuel source; sea water as source of water; an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid; a thermally self-regulating reactor capable of delivering pure hydrogen gas at desired pressure upon reaction of the calcium hydride particles suspended within the hydrophobic membrane fluid with seawater; and aluminium powder for reaction with the by-product calcium hydroxide, for generating higher output of pure hydrogen gas along with pure drinking water generation. The inventor of the present invention have termed the said system as “HyGen-X-Mar System”.

In some embodiments, the systems of the present invention comprises of an inert, nondegrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid have density in the range of 1.4 to 1.8 g/cc, boiling point higher than 400°C and freezing point below minus 50°C.

In some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a method and/or process for generation of hydrogen gas comprising the systems detailed in the above embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The systems of the present invention shall be clarified in the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example, preferred embodiments of the present invention as under:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of the embodiment of calcium hydride- water reactor of HyGen and HyGen-X systems according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the embodiment of calcium hydride- seawater reactor of HyGen-X-Mar system according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic view of the embodiment of aluminium powder reactor of HyGen-X system according to the present invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic view of the embodiment having the aluminium powder reactor of HyGen-X-Mar system according to the present invention;

Figure 5 is a schematic view of the embodiment of HyGen-HFC (hydrogen fuel cell) integrated system according to the present invention;

Figure 6 is a schematic view of the embodiment of HyGen-X-HFC (hydrogen fuel cell) integrated system according to the present invention;

Figure 7 is a schematic view of the embodiment of HyGen-X-Mar-HFC (hydrogen fuel cell) integrated system according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to on-site, on-demand autonomous hydrogen generation and storage systems that can augment electricity generation and has other suitable industrial uses.

The systems of the present invention comprise an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid.

The hydrogen generation systems of the present invention are environment-friendly with zero-emission, zero- waste and zero-discharge. The features of the present invention and their advantages shall become more apparent in the light of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof.

In one of the embodiments detailed in Figure 1, the present invention relates to the calcium hydride- water reactor of on-site, on-demand autonomous hydrogen generation and storage systems (HyGen and HyGen-X systems) comprising unconditioned, unprocessed calcium hydride as the metal hydride fuel source; a controlled source of water; an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid; and a thermally self-regulating reactor capable of delivering pure hydrogen gas at desired pressure upon reaction of the calcium hydride particles suspended within the hydrophobic membrane fluid with water.

The calcium hydride- water reactor as referred in Figure 1 includes a porous ceramic bed at the bottom of the reactor with an inlet for water in a controlled flow manner. Calcium hydride powder is fed into the reactor vessel through a screw feeder on measured basis depending upon the hydrogen demand. The reactor has an outlet for removal of byproducts of the reaction including calcium hydroxide slurry or for removal of membrane fluid used in the reactor for controlling the spontaneity of the reaction by suspending the calcium hydride particles. The reactor is further equipped with an outlet for collection of clean and pure hydrogen gas along with water vapor that carries the excess heat generated during the reaction of calcium hydride and water.

The hydrogen generation systems and the methods detailed in the one embodiment of the present invention incorporate the use of calcium hydride (CaFF) as the source of the hydrogen generation process. In one of the embodiments of the present invention, the selection of calcium hydride as the source of hydrogen generation by the inventor is based on the several advantages it offers to the systems developed under this present invention. The ease of availability of calcium hydride as the input material enables it to be used in developing hydrogen generator systems under the present invention at any location without facing any supply chain concerns. One of the primary reasons for the wide usability of calcium hydride in various industrial applications, is its non-toxic nature and safety in handling. Also, the high melting point of calcium hydride of 816°C provides high thermal stability and safety well beyond the operating range of the hydrogen generation systems of the present invention which is around 60-200°C. The hydrogen generation systems of the present invention prove economical as the primary input material, calcium hydride, has an unlimited shelf-life if stored in moisture-free containers.

In one of the embodiments, hydrogen generation systems and the methods of the present invention use hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid also referred to as the organic specialty fluid as it offers several advantages to the systems of the present invention with its distinct properties. The membrane fluid of the present invention is totally inert, it has no reaction with calcium hydride, hydrogen, water, steam, or any of the byproducts of reaction like calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). It is safe chemically and environmentally as it is non-toxic, non-flammable, non-combustible, non-explosive, non-corrosive and has zero-ozone-depletion-potential. This renders the hydrogen generation systems of the present invention completely safe and environment-friendly. The membrane fluid is hydrophobic, immiscible with water and has density in the range of 1.4 to 1.8 g/cc which is much higher than the density of water (1 g/cc). As a result, water particles injected in the membrane liquid (and remaining unreacted with calcium hydride within the reactor), rise upwards to the top surface due to density differential facilitating automatic separation from reaction zone. The boiling point of the said membrane fluid is higher than 400°C, whereby it does not evaporate nor is consumed in any manner during the process. This hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid remains entrained within the reactor, with no depletion or deterioration over the life span of the reactor operation, meaning that there would be no recurring cost of replenishment during entire life span of the hydrogen generator system. The hydrogen generator system of the present invention operates even in extreme cold conditions as the freezing point of the liquid membrane fluid is below minus 50°C, which renders it liquid even under such extreme conditions.

In one of the embodiments, the hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid used in the present invention controls the spontaneity of the reactions occurring within the reactors. The particles of calcium hydride added to the reactor in a controlled manner remain trapped and suspended within the liquid membrane fluid. Water is admitted at the bottom of the reactor in a controlled manner depending on hydrogen demand. Water flows through the porous ceramic media at the bottom which ensures uniform distribution of water particles across the cross section, allowing the water particles to rise through membrane fluid, driven by density differential. Water particles rising in membrane fluid, collide with calcium hydride particles moving randomly within membrane fluid mass. Collision-contacts cause particle level reactions wherein calcium hydride reacts with water in the system reactor and releases hydrogen as governed by the following equation 1:

CaH2 (s) + 2H2O(l/g) Ca(OH)2(s) + 2H2(g)f (delH= -234 KJ/mol CaH2) - Equation- 1

From the above equation, the inventors of the present invention deduced that: 1 Kg CaH2 reacts with 0.856 Kg water to release 0.0958 Kg hydrogen (about 1.16 Nm3).

In one of the embodiments, the present invention relates to an automatic separation of calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2, the byproduct of the reaction, ensuring that the reaction zone within the membrane fluid is not impacted by accumulation of such reaction byproducts. The said by-product calcium hydroxide is immiscible with the membrane fluid and is insoluble in water. It separates and automatically rises to float on the surface of the reactor due to density differential. This is a distinct functional advantage of the hydrogen generator systems and its processes that ensures uniform hydrogen generation throughout the operation.

In one of the embodiments, the present invention relates to hydrogen generator systems that are thermally self-regulating under proper control of water in-flow. The reaction detailed in above Equation 1 is spontaneous and exothermic, and the significant heat released of about 5.6 MJ/Kg of Catb reacting is absorbed by membrane fluid. This heat absorbed by liquid membrane fluid gets transferred to the water particles that have not yet reacted. This vaporizes the water or generates steam which take away the reaction-heat from the reactor. Another advantage of the hydrogen generators of the present invention from functional and operational standpoint is that the reactors can be started or stopped at will just by managing the water in-flow.

In one of the embodiments detailed in Figure 5, the present invention relates to the HyGen System integrated with Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) for electricity generation. Clean hydrogen gas generated during the reaction process in the HyGen reactor detailed in Figure 1 enters the hydrogen fuel cell, and reacts inside with air/oxygen to generate electrical output. Also, the steam generated inside the reactor exits to enter the condenser, where it condenses to give water. Further, the reaction inside fuel cell produces water as a by-product. This additional water output from fuel cell gets added to the condensate water formed from the reactor section. The collected water gets reutilized in a closed loop for supporting the reaction in the reactor. This HyGen-HFC integrated system is thereby “water-neutral” meaning that it does not need external water support (barring small make-up for losses) during operation. Such system and the method detailed therein is another important advantage from “water economy” standpoint, particularly for utilization at sites in arid region.

In one of the embodiments detailed in Figure 3, the present invention relates to aluminium powder reactor of HyGen-X system for generation of additional hydrogen. The calcium hydride + aluminium hybrid system generates 74% more hydrogen. The aluminium powder reactor of Hy Gen-X system as referred in Figure 3 includes two screw feeders, one for the inlet of aluminium powder and the other for introduction of hot Calcium Hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) slurry into the reactor. This slurry of calcium hydroxide is the byproduct received from the calcium hydride- water reactor as detailed in Figure 1. Thus, the said aluminium powder reactor of HyGen-X system serves as an additional system for generating hydrogen using the by-products of HyGen system. This aluminium reactor has an outlet for releasing the byproduct of this reaction, CaAl(OH)₅.

In addition to the reactions taking place between calcium hydride particles with water in presence of membrane fluid to release hydrogen gas, heat, steam and byproduct calcium hydroxide; an additional reaction occurs within this reaction detailed in Figure 3 as under: Aluminium (Al) corrodes in Calcium Hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) to release Hydrogen as per the following equation under proper concentration/temperature conditions :-

2A1 + 2Ca(OH)2(s) + 6H2O(1) 2CaAl(OH)5(s) + 3H2(g)f (exothermic) - Equation-2

From the above equation, the inventor of the present invention has deduced that:

1 Kg Al requires 2.746 Kg Ca(OH)2 and 2.0 Kg Water to react and produce 0.112 Kg Hydrogen. Heat released is 99 MJ. In the case of HyGen system, it was seen that 1 Kg CaH2 reacts with 0.856 Kg Water to release 0.0958 Kg Hydrogen and gives by-product Ca(OH)2 1.7602 Kg. Heat released is 63 MJ. It is therefore deduced that the by-product 1.7602 Kg Ca(OH)2 (produced in HyGen step) can be gainfully utilized to accept about 0.641 Kg Aluminium plus 1.284 Kg Water to react and produce 0.0718 Kg Hydrogen. This aluminium powder reactor of HyGen-X system is equipped with an outlet for collection of clean and pure hydrogen gas and offers the same advantages of automatic removal of by-products and the membrane fluid as in the basic HyGen system. In one of the embodiments detailed in Figure 6, the present invention relates to the HyGen-X System integrated with Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) for electricity generation. This hybrid system is identical to the HyGen-HFC integrated system depicted in Figure 5 with only additional arrangement of requirement of addition of aluminium powder for generation of higher hydrogen output. The by-product of HyGen-X system, CaAl(OH)s is not an undesired waste in fact it is non-toxic, non-flammable and safe, even for human consumption. It is to be noted that the HyGen-X-HFC system needs addition of external water to support the process. Thereby, it is not considered to be water- neural as the HyGen-HFC system. HyGen-X-HFC integrated system becomes suitable only for those applications where external water source is available, or water storage is feasible. In addition to the extra hydrogen output, the HyGen-X-HFC integrated system process also gives extra heat which can be gainfully utilized for other applications viz. additional power generation via Stirling generator, space/equipment cooling via vapor absorption system, shelter heating under extreme conditions etc. Thus the hydrogen generation systems of the present invention present an advantageous solution in totality offering several commercially viable benefits.

In one of the embodiments detailed in Figure 2, the present invention relates to calcium hydride seawater reactor of HyGen-X-Mar system. The inventor of the present invention have intelligently exploited the use of freely available seawater using their HyGen-X system to produce not only hydrogen for fuel cells to generate electricity, but also to generate pure drinking water, which is vital for those working at sea on marine and submarine platforms. Such spin-off of the marine process of HyGen-X is denoted as HyGen-X-Mar by the inventor. This calcium hydride seawater reactor of HyGen-X-Mar system is completely identical in operation and functioning as the calcium hydride- water reactor of HyGen or HyGen-X system depicted in Figure 1 of this present invention. The only point of difference between these systems is that the system described in Figure 2 uses seawater as the input water source instead of regular water.

Similarly, in one of the embodiments detailed in Figure 4, the present invention relates to aluminium powder reactor of HyGen-X-Mar system for generation of additional hydrogen. This system is entirely similar to the aluminium powder reactor of HyGen- X system depicted in Figure 3 of the present invention with only difference that the system described in Figure 4 uses Seawater as the input source of water for the reaction process.

In one of the embodiments detailed in Figure 7, the present invention relates to the HyGen-X-Mar System integrated with Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) for generation of electricity and also facilitates production of significant amount of clean drinking water. The inventor of the present invention noted that calcium hydride has no reaction with sodium chloride (NaCl) or other salt components of the seawater. Therefore, when calcium hydride comes in contact with seawater, only the water (H2O) component reacts to release hydrogen and give by-product Ca(OH)2. The above reaction and evaporative boiling of seawater due to heat released, all put together, leads to formation of concentrated salts that form slurry with Ca(OH)2. The slurry automatically floats on top of membrane fluid due to density differential. The hot slurry of concentrated salts and Ca(OH)2 moves to the second reactor where Aluminium powder is added. Aluminium powder corrodes even faster in the concentrated salt medium and accelerates Al reaction with Ca(OH)2 as described in Equation 2 above to release Hydrogen plus heat. The heat generated promotes evaporative boiling of seawater content of the slurry. The mixture of Hydrogen and water vapor, generated in both the reactors of this hybrid system, moves on to the Membrane Distillation Unit (MDU) which produces clean water and allows Hydrogen to pass through which moves on to the Fuel Cell for electricity generation. Waste by-product, a slurry of concentrated salts and CaAl(OH)s is totally safe and green from environment perspective. In one of the embodiment, the present invention relates to a process of generating clean and pure hydrogen gas from systems described in Figure 5 and Figure 6 using the calcium hydride water reactor detailed in Figure 1 of the present invention.

In one of the embodiment, the present invention relates to a process of generating clean and pure hydrogen gas from system described in Figure 7 using the calcium hydride seawater reactor detailed in Figure 2 of the present invention.

In one of the embodiment, the present invention relates to a process of generating higher output of clean and pure hydrogen gas, approximately additional 74% output using the aluminium powder reactor systems described in Figure 3 and Figure 4 of the present invention.

In one of the embodiment, the present invention relates to a process of generating electricity from hydrogen generation systems integrated with hydrogen fuel cells as described in Figure 5, Figure 6 and Figure 7 of the present invention.

In one of the embodiment, the present invention relates to a process of generating clean and pure drinking water from system described in Figure 7 of the present invention.

In some embodiments, a composition of the present invention relates to a reaction mixture of calcium hydride powder and water suspended in liquid membrane fluid of the reactors as described in Figure 1 and Figure 2 of the present invention.

In one of the embodiment, the present invention further relates to a process of treatment of the byproducts of the reaction, slurry of calcium hydroxide, to produce additional hydrogen gas. The terminology used in this present invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The present invention is described herein by various embodiments with correspond to the like elements throughout the description. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

Claims

We Claim,

1. An on-site, on-demand environment- friendly autonomous hydrogen generation and storage system comprising: unconditioned, unprocessed calcium hydride as the metal hydride fuel source; a controlled source of water; an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid; and a thermally self-regulating reactor capable of delivering pure hydrogen gas at desired pressure upon reaction of the calcium hydride particles suspended within the hydrophobic membrane fluid with water.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid have density in the range of 1.4 to 1.8 g/cc, boiling point higher than 400°C and freezing point below minus 50°C.

3. The system according to claim 1 facilitates electricity generation in the hydrogen fuel cell integrated to such a system using the hydrogen gas generated in the reactor.

4. An on-site, on-demand environment-friendly autonomous hydrogen generation and storage hybrid system comprising: unconditioned, unprocessed calcium hydride as the metal hydride fuel source; controlled source of water; an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid; a thermally self-regulating reactor capable of delivering pure hydrogen gas at desired pressure upon reaction of the calcium hydride particles suspended within the hydrophobic membrane fluid with water; and aluminium powder for reaction with the by-product calcium hydroxide in external water source, for generating higher output of pure hydrogen gas.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid have density in the range of 1.4 to 1.8 g/cc, boiling point higher than 400°C and freezing point below minus 50°C.

6. The system according to claim 4 facilitates electricity generation in the hydrogen fuel cell integrated to such a system using the hydrogen gas generated in the reactor.

7. An on-site, on-demand environment-friendly autonomous hydrogen generation and storage hybrid system comprising: unconditioned, unprocessed calcium hydride as the metal hydride fuel source; sea water as source of water; an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid; a thermally self-regulating reactor capable of delivering pure hydrogen gas at desired pressure upon reaction of the calcium hydride particles suspended within the hydrophobic membrane fluid with seawater; and aluminium powder for reaction with the by-product calcium hydroxide in seawater, for generating higher output of pure hydrogen gas along with pure drinking water generation.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid have density in the range of 1.4 to 1.8 g/cc, boiling point higher than 400°C and freezing point below minus 50°C.

9. The system according to claim 7 facilitates electricity generation in the hydrogen fuel cell integrated to such system using the hydrogen gas generated in the reactor.

10. A method for generation of hydrogen gas, the method comprising an on-site, on- demand autonomous hydrogen generation and storage system with unconditioned, unprocessed calcium hydride as the metal hydride fuel source; a controlled source of water; an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid; and a thermally self-regulating reactor capable of delivering pure hydrogen gas at desired pressure upon reaction of the calcium hydride particles suspended within the hydrophobic membrane fluid with water. .

11. A method for generation of hydrogen gas, the method comprising an on-site, on- demand autonomous hydrogen generation and storage hybrid system with unconditioned, unprocessed calcium hydride as the metal hydride fuel source; controlled source of water; an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid; a thermally self-regulating reactor capable of delivering pure hydrogen gas at desired pressure upon reaction of the calcium hydride particles suspended within the hydrophobic membrane fluid with water; and aluminium powder for reaction with the by-product calcium hydroxide in external water source, for generating higher output of pure hydrogen gas.

12. A method for generation of hydrogen gas, the method comprising an on-site, on- demand autonomous hydrogen generation and storage hybrid system with unconditioned, unprocessed calcium hydride as the metal hydride fuel source; sea water as source of water; an inert, non-degrading hydrophobic liquid membrane fluid; a thermally self-regulating reactor capable of delivering pure hydrogen gas at desired pressure upon reaction of the calcium hydride particles suspended within the hydrophobic membrane fluid with seawater; and aluminium powder for reaction with the by-product calcium hydroxide in seawater, for generating higher output of pure hydrogen gas along with pure drinking water generation.

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